Oh, Jasper, I weep for you, and I remember the joys of camping in the beauty of a Canadian national park

Mum, cringing; Amanda, smiling;
Charles, grinning at the camera -- 
all enjoying morning tea made by Dad outside
on the Coleman stove and served in 
thick melamine mugs.

Since learning that the townsite of Jasper and part of Jasper National Park have been engulfed by a raging wildfire, my mind has been filled with memories of one particular camping holiday my parents took us on way back in 1971. 

At the time, we were living in Germany for my father's work, so the 6-week trip in a truck camper through British Columbia made a particular impression on my young mind. We had summer holidayed in Spain and winter skied in the Austrian alps, but that trip around BC with its spectacular scenery and those camp sites in national and provincial parks was out of this world wild and wonderful. 

I remember the campsites, those enormous trees, the quiet, the fun of cooking over a fire, the not-so-fun of rudimentary toilet facilities, the patience of the conservation officers explaining the life of the park with its wild animals that, above all, we had to respect and enjoy from a distance. All the more memorable, then, when a black bear loped into our campsite. Such wildness was, well, wildly, exciting for an 11-year-old. 

Mostly, I remember the trip as loads of family fun. I'm sure we had our share of arguments and bad-tempered times, but being together and enjoying the adventure together is what stays in my mind. Just one little family experiencing the majesty and magnificence of nature. 

Canada has 38 national parks and 10 national reserves, with each province and  territory adding many more to the list of places where people can travel to experience the great out of doors in this naturally awesome country. 

I have been only a visitor to the townsite of Jasper and to the national park, and my heart goes out to every resident who is experiencing the trauma of what must surely be climate-change-induced wildfire. The beauty and glory of your home is firmly lodged in my mind as one of the most spectacular places to be. I am with you in spirit during these trying times. And I am sure I speak for many when I say that I will be with you in more practical terms (money) when the rebuilding begins.

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Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.